USING PERIPHERAL IoT DEVICES TO IDENTIFY PRIMARY DEVICE REPLACEMENTS

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a method and associated system. A computing device determines that a mobile application has been downloaded onto a first primary portable communication device of a user, wherein paired devices are the first primary portable communication device paired to a secondary portable communication device. The computing device receives an acknowledgment by the user of a notification enabled by the mobile application, the notification being received by the first primary portable communication device and shared with the secondary portable communication device, wherein the acknowledgment includes device identifications of the paired devices. The computing device stores, into a memory of the computing device and in response to the acknowledgment, the device identifications of the paired devices.

This application is a continuation application claiming priority to Ser.No. 15/398,863, filed Jan. 5, 2017.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates generally to the field of identifying wirelessdevices, and in particular to a method and system for using peripheralInternet of Things (IoT) devices to aid in identifying smart phones orother portable communication devices.

BACKGROUND

Bluetooth® low energy BLE beacons such as Apple iBeacons®, and Wi-Fiproximity sensors are amongst the most popular means of providingenhanced experiences for customers with smart devices attending venues,such as stadiums, airports, retail stores and hospitals. The beacons areversatile for use from sales promotions to building security. Thebeacons transmit a wireless signal to enabled smart devices, such ascell phones, that can notify an application on the cell phone that it iswithin a transmission range of a beacon at a given location. Currentlythere are many hardware and software solutions, such as IBM PresenceInsights®, which provide aggregation of customer data to help businessesunderstand trends and performance of their retail locations. While thiscustomer data is important and valuable to a business, whenever acustomer purchases a new device, all history about his old devicebecomes useless. It would be of tremendous value to allow companies torecognize when a customer has updated his or her mobile device.

Accordingly, there is a need for improved systems and methods toefficiently and accurately update user identification and deviceidentification data for users, for instance within venues where beaconsare distributed for providing enhanced experiences for users/customers.

SUMMARY

The present invention provides a method, and associated computer systemand computer program product, for identifying paired devices, by:determining, by a computing device, that a mobile application has beendownloaded onto a first primary portable communication device of a user,wherein the first primary portable communication device is paired with asecondary portable communication device. The computing devicecommunicates with the first primary portable communication device andreceives an acknowledgment by the user of a notification enabled by themobile application. The notification is received by the first primaryportable communication device and shared with the secondary portablecommunication device. The first primary portable communication deviceforwards the notification and the acknowledgement to the computingdevice, wherein the acknowledgment includes device identifications ofthe paired devices. The computing device then stores the acknowledgmentand device identifications into a memory and updates the deviceidentifications of the paired devices in response to a change in paireddevices.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and further advantages of this invention may be betterunderstood by referring to the following description in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings, in which like numerals indicate likestructural elements and features in the various figures. The drawingsare not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed uponillustrating the principles of the invention.

FIG. 1 depicts a cloud computing environment according to an embodimentof the present invention.

FIG. 2 depicts abstraction model layers according to an embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram of a system for using peripheral IoT devices toidentify smart phones, in accordance with embodiments of the presentinvention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram of a monitored region of a wireless network, inaccordance with embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an exemplary floor plan of a retail store using beacontechnology and illustrating the implementation of an embodiment of theinventive method for using peripheral IoT devices to identify smartphones, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 6A is a flow chart diagram of initialization steps of a method forusing peripheral IoT devices to identify smart phones, in accordancewith embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 6B is a flow chart diagram of a method for using peripheral IoTdevices to identify smart phones, in accordance with embodiments of thepresent invention.

FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment of the computing device of FIG. 3 usedfor implementing the methods of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, specific details are set forth although itshould be appreciated by one of ordinary skill that the presentinvention can be practiced without at least some of the details. In someinstances, known features or processes are not described in detail so asnot to obscure the present invention.

It is to be understood that although this disclosure includes a detaileddescription on cloud computing, implementation of the teachings recitedherein are not limited to a cloud computing environment. Rather,embodiments of the present invention are capable of being implemented inconjunction with any other type of computing environment now known orlater developed.

Cloud computing is a model of service delivery for enabling convenient,on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computingresources (e.g., networks, network bandwidth, servers, processing,memory, storage, applications, virtual machines, and services) that canbe rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort orinteraction with a provider of the service. This cloud model may includeat least five characteristics, at least three service models, and atleast four deployment models.

Characteristics are as follows:

On-demand self-service: a cloud consumer can unilaterally provisioncomputing capabilities, such as server time and network storage, asneeded automatically without requiring human interaction with theservice's provider.

Broad network access: capabilities are available over a network andaccessed through standard mechanisms that promote use by heterogeneousthin or thick client platforms (e.g., mobile phones, laptops, and PDAs).

Resource pooling: the provider's computing resources are pooled to servemultiple consumers using a multi-tenant model, with different physicaland virtual resources dynamically assigned and reassigned according todemand. There is a sense of location independence in that the consumergenerally has no control or knowledge over the exact location of theprovided resources but may be able to specify location at a higher levelof abstraction (e.g., country, state, or datacenter).

Rapid elasticity: capabilities can be rapidly and elasticallyprovisioned, in some cases automatically, to quickly scale out andrapidly released to quickly scale in. To the consumer, the capabilitiesavailable for provisioning often appear to be unlimited and can bepurchased in any quantity at any time.

Measured service: cloud systems automatically control and optimizeresource use by leveraging a metering capability at some level ofabstraction appropriate to the type of service (e.g., storage,processing, bandwidth, and active user accounts). Resource usage can bemonitored, controlled, and reported, providing transparency for both theprovider and consumer of the utilized service.

Service Models are as follows:

Software as a Service (SaaS): the capability provided to the consumer isto use the provider's applications running on a cloud infrastructure.The applications are accessible from various client devices through athin client interface such as a web browser (e.g., web-based e-mail).The consumer does not manage or control the underlying cloudinfrastructure including network, servers, operating systems, storage,or even individual application capabilities, with the possible exceptionof limited user-specific application configuration settings.

Platform as a Service (PaaS): the capability provided to the consumer isto deploy onto the cloud infrastructure consumer-created or acquiredapplications created using programming languages and tools supported bythe provider. The consumer does not manage or control the underlyingcloud infrastructure including networks, servers, operating systems, orstorage, but has control over the deployed applications and possiblyapplication hosting environment configurations.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): the capability provided to theconsumer is to provision processing, storage, networks, and otherfundamental computing resources where the consumer is able to deploy andrun arbitrary software, which can include operating systems andapplications. The consumer does not manage or control the underlyingcloud infrastructure but has control over operating systems, storage,deployed applications, and possibly limited control of select networkingcomponents (e.g., host firewalls).

Deployment Models are as follows:

Private cloud: the cloud infrastructure is operated solely for anorganization. It may be managed by the organization or a third party andmay exist on-premises or off-premises.

Community cloud: the cloud infrastructure is shared by severalorganizations and supports a specific community that has shared concerns(e.g., mission, security requirements, policy, and complianceconsiderations). It may be managed by the organizations or a third partyand may exist on-premises or off-premises.

Public cloud: the cloud infrastructure is made available to the generalpublic or a large industry group and is owned by an organization sellingcloud services.

Hybrid cloud: the cloud infrastructure is a composition of two or moreclouds (private, community, or public) that remain unique entities butare bound together by standardized or proprietary technology thatenables data and application portability (e.g., cloud bursting forload-balancing between clouds).

A cloud computing environment is service oriented with a focus onstatelessness, low coupling, modularity, and semantic interoperability.At the heart of cloud computing is an infrastructure that includes anetwork of interconnected nodes.

Referring now to FIG. 1, illustrative cloud computing environment 50 isdepicted. As shown, cloud computing environment 50 includes one or morecloud computing nodes 10 with which local computing devices used bycloud consumers, such as, for example, personal digital assistant (PDA)or cellular telephone 54A, desktop computer 54B, laptop computer 54C,and/or automobile computer system 54N may communicate. Nodes 10 maycommunicate with one another. They may be grouped (not shown) physicallyor virtually, in one or more networks, such as Private, Community,Public, or Hybrid clouds as described hereinabove, or a combinationthereof. This allows cloud computing environment 50 to offerinfrastructure, platforms and/or software as services for which a cloudconsumer does not need to maintain resources on a local computingdevice. It is understood that the types of computing devices 54A-N shownin FIG. 1 are intended to be illustrative only and that computing nodes10 and cloud computing environment 50 can communicate with any type ofcomputerized device over any type of network and/or network addressableconnection (e.g., using a web browser).

Referring now to FIG. 2, a set of functional abstraction layers providedby cloud computing environment 50 (FIG. 1) is shown. It should beunderstood in advance that the components, layers, and functions shownin FIG. 2 are intended to be illustrative only and embodiments of theinvention are not limited thereto. As depicted, the following layers andcorresponding functions are provided:

Hardware and software layer 60 includes hardware and softwarecomponents. Examples of hardware components include: mainframes 61; RISC(Reduced Instruction Set Computer) architecture based servers 62;servers 63; blade servers 64; storage devices 65; and networks andnetworking components 66. In some embodiments, software componentsinclude network application server software 67 and database software 68.

Virtualization layer 70 provides an abstraction layer from which thefollowing examples of virtual entities may be provided: virtual servers71; virtual storage 72; virtual networks 73, including virtual privatenetworks; virtual applications and operating systems 74; and virtualclients 75.

In one example, management layer 80 may provide the functions describedbelow. Resource provisioning 81 provides dynamic procurement ofcomputing resources and other resources that are utilized to performtasks within the cloud computing environment. Metering and Pricing 82provide cost tracking as resources are utilized within the cloudcomputing environment, and billing or invoicing for consumption of theseresources. In one example, these resources may include applicationsoftware licenses. Security provides identity verification for cloudconsumers and tasks, as well as protection for data and other resources.User portal 83 provides access to the cloud computing environment forconsumers and system administrators. Service level management 84provides cloud computing resource allocation and management such thatrequired service levels are met. Service Level Agreement (SLA) planningand fulfillment 85 provide pre-arrangement for, and procurement of,cloud computing resources for which a future requirement is anticipatedin accordance with an SLA.

Workloads layer 90 provides examples of functionality for which thecloud computing environment may be utilized. Examples of workloads andfunctions which may be provided from this layer include: mapping andnavigation 91; software development and lifecycle management 92; virtualclassroom education delivery 93; data analytics processing 94;transaction processing 95; and data transfer 96 using peripheral IoTdevices to identify smart phones.

FIG. 3 is a diagram of a system for using peripheral IoT devices toidentify smart phones, in accordance with the principles of the presentinvention. The system of FIG. 3 includes a computing device 4, awireless network 6, a plurality of primary portable communicationdevices 10 ₁, 10 ₂ . . . 10 _(n), a plurality of secondary portablecommunication devices 12 ₁, 12 ₂ . . . 12 _(n), and a monitored region20. Each of the plurality of primary portable communication devices 10₁, 10 ₂ . . . 10 _(n) has a wireless transmission range 10 _(1R), 10_(2R) . . . 10 _(nR), respectively, and each of the secondary portablecommunication devices 12 ₁, 12 ₂ . . . 12 _(n), has a wirelesstransmission range 12 _(1R), 12 _(2R) . . . 12 _(nR), respectively. Thetransmission ranges of each of the primary portable communicationdevices and the secondary portable communication devices may vary orthey may be the same. Also, both the primary and secondarycommunications devices may have wireless communications capabilities tothe computing device 4, such as via the Internet, a wireless LANnetwork, WAN network, etc.

The wireless devices of FIG. 3 are paired so that for example: a firstuser would have a first primary portable communication device 10 ₁paired with a secondary portable communication device 12 ₁; a seconduser would have a first primary portable communication device 10 ₂paired with a secondary portable communication device 12 ₂; and an an^(th) user would have an n^(th) primary portable communication device10 _(n) paired with a secondary portable communication device 12 _(n).Each user could be a customer or client having an interest in visiting astore or other venue identified within the monitored region 20. Also,any number of wireless devices could be paired together.

The computing device 4, used to implement the methods of the presentinvention, can be any known computer device which is connected to awireless network, preferably the Internet. For instance, the computingdevice 4 could be a desktop computer, server, laptop computer, computertablet, smart phone, mobile computer or any other wireless computerizeddevice.

In the system of FIG. 3, the computing device 4 communicates with theprimary portable communication devices 10 ₁, 10 ₂ . . . 10 _(n) over afirst wireless network 6 by way of a first wireless network of wirelesscommunication via Wi-Fi, the Internet, a wireless LAN (local areanetwork), a wireless WAN wireless transmission, or the like to amultitude or plurality of portable communication devices 22 (see FIG.4); e.g., using cloud technology, which is well known as the practice ofusing a network of remote servers/computers hosted on the Internet tostore, manage, and process data, rather than by using a hard-wired localserver or a personal computer. The first wireless network 6 or cloud isused to transfer data between the computing device 4 and the pluralityof primary portable communication devices 10 ₁, 10 ₂ . . . 10 _(n).

In the system of FIG. 3, each primary portable communication device 10₁, 10 ₂ . . . 10 _(n), is paired, respectively, with an associatedsecondary portable communication devices 12 ₁, 12 ₂ . . . 12 _(n), bothbeing owned and possessed by the same user. The wireless communicationsbetween the paired devices is implemented by protocols such as Wi-Fi802.11 networks and Bluetooth® BLE beacons.

FIG. 4 is a diagram of the monitored region 20 of FIG. 3, in accordancewith embodiments of the present invention. The monitored region includesa plurality of beacons 22 ₁, 22 ₂ . . . 22 _(k) wherein each beacon 22has a separate transmission region 22 _(1R), 22 _(2R) . . . 22 _(kR),respectively. The transmission range for each beacon, such as 22 _(1R)related to beacon 22 ₁, typically would closely resemble a circlecentered at beacon 22 ₁ having a given radius of transmission. Thebeacons 22 ₁, 22 ₂ . . . 22 _(k) use micro-location technologies, suchas Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons which are becoming increasinglyimportant to commercial venues such as retail stores, hospitals andsporting venues.

The monitored region 20 is an area of a second wireless network where anaccumulation of e.g. Bluetooth communications in a venue is distinct andseparate from the previously described first wireless network (e.g.Internet). For instance the second wireless network can be (1) Bluetoothcommunications from one or more Bluetooth beacons dispersed throughout astore or venue, (2) a Wi-Fi or LAN network wirelessly accessible bywireless devices within a limited range, or (3) a geo-fence wherebygeo-fencing is defined as the practice of using global positioning (GPS)or radio frequency identification (RFID) to define a geographicboundary. Once a geo-fence or “virtual barrier” is established, anadministrator can set up triggers that send a text message, email alert,or mobile app notification when a mobile device enters or exits thespecified area within the geo-fence.

Various wireless beacons are available on the market, such as AppleInc.'s iBeacon® and Google Inc.'s Eddystone®, as well as others.Management of large beacon deployments in venues is very difficult sinceBLE beacons do not connect to a Wi-Fi network, being so-called “dummydevices” which require a device interaction to configure the settings ofeach individual beacon. As one example, iBeacons are a class ofBluetooth® low energy devices that broadcast their location to nearbyportable electronic devices, using a protocol standardized by Apple. Thetechnology enables smartphones, tablets and other portable communicationdevices to perform actions when within range of a signal transmissionfrom an iBeacon.

Bluetooth® technology, trademarked by Bluetooth Special Interest Groups(SIG), Inc., is a wireless technology standard for exchanging data overshort distances using short-wavelength UHF radio waves in the frequencyrange of 2.4 to 2.485 GHz from fixed and mobile devices. Bluetoothtechnology is designed primarily for low-power consumption with a shortrange based on low-cost transceiver microchips in each device tofacilitate audio and data distribution and wireless interconnection ofmobile phones, computers, and other electronic devices. Bluetoothprotocol is known in the art as a short range, e.g. 10 meter,frequency-hopping radio link between devices. Bluetooth enabled devicesrecognize other Bluetooth devices that are within range and then connectwith those other Bluetooth devices, either automatically or at a user'sdiscretion.

In FIG. 4 the plurality of BLE beacons 22 ₁, 22 ₂ . . . 22 _(k) of FIG.2 together form the monitored region 20 of FIG. 3. For instance, thesebeacons may be placed in locations throughout a retail store or othervenue where user engagement would most likely be triggered. In contrastto other sensing hardware, beacons operate on small batteries (such aswatch batteries) and thus beacons do not have a dependency on electricalpower outlets. The beacons can be stuck to any location (e.g. withdouble sided tape), although there should be an awareness to potentialobstructions since the beacon is sending out a radio signal which couldpotentially be blocked or reflected. Most beacons send their signals inall directions, but some vendors provide beacons with directionalcontrol.

Each BLE beacon 22 includes a Micro-Controller Unit (MCU), a BLE radiotransmitter and receiver, an antenna and a power source. The BLE beaconbroadcasts a signal throughout a given range, where the signal includespackets with identifying information, and each packet is called anAdvertising Packet (AP). The APs generally include product information,pricing information, etc. which a client or customer may find usefulwhile browsing through, for instance, a retail store where the beaconsare located. The packet structure and the information broadcast by abeacon depend on the specific beacon protocol and the packets typicallyinclude fields of beacon configuration data.

A beacon 22 typically includes the following configuration parameters:UUID (universal unique identifier), a MAJOR and a MINOR. An UUID is aunique identifier which is used to individually identify a beacon or agroup of beacons from other beacons. A Major is a number which is usedto identify a group of beacons that share a UUID. In other words, aMajor defines a property of the beacon signal to distinguish betweendifferent zones within a venue. A Minor is a number which is used toidentify a specific beacon that shares both a UUID and a Major number. AMinor also defines a property of the beacon signal in order to furtherdistinguish or sub-divide zones within a venue.

Identified data that is specific to each beacon 22 is referred to asbeacon configuration data. The identified data includes parameters suchas, but not limited to, the UUID number, a Major number, a Minor number,radio range of the beacon, beacon radio signal frequency information,Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI), beacon battery lifeinformation, information identifying the exact location of the beacon,time intervals between beacon transmissions, beacon power information,beacon date put into use, etc.

In the system of FIG. 3, the computing device 4 communicates by way ofwireless communication via Wi-Fi, the Internet, a wireless LAN (localarea network), a wireless WAN wireless transmission, or the like to amultitude or plurality of portable communication devices 22; e.g., usingcloud technology, which is well known as the practice of using a networkof remote servers/computers hosted on the Internet to store, manage, andprocess data, rather than by using a hard-wired local server or apersonal computer. A first wireless network 6 or cloud is used totransfer data between the computing device 4 and the plurality ofprimary portable communication devices 10 ₁, 10 ₂ . . . 10 _(n). Theplurality of primary portable communication devices 10 ₁, 10 ₂ . . . 10_(n) are physically in the possession of users, customers or others whomove throughout a venue such as a retail store where beacons 22 ₁, 22 ₂. . . 22 _(k) are located. Each customer also physically possesses asecondary portable communication device 12 ₁, 12 ₂ . . . 12 _(n), whichis paired to his or her corresponding primary portable communicationdevices 10 ₁, 10 ₂ . . . 10 _(n), respectively. The terminology of“pairing devices” refers to creating a distinctive wirelesscommunications capability between the two devices, typically usingBluetooth technology.

The user/customer owns a smart phone deemed as a first primary portablecommunication device, as well as one or more secondary portablecommunication devices which have been paired together with the firstprimary portable communication device and with one another. The firstprimary portable communication device can be any smart device, such as asmart phone, a tablet, laptop, etc., which communications wirelesslyover the first wireless network, i.e. the Internet. The secondaryportable communication device is any wireless computerized device thatis paired with the first primary portable communication device, andwhich also communicates with beacons within the monitored region 20. Forinstance, the secondary portable communication device could be aperipheral IoT device such as a smart watch, a smart wristband, smartglasses, a selfie remote, a shopping button, smart armband, an activitysensor, a Bluetooth bike lock, a wireless headset, smart ring or anytype of wireless electronic sensor.

FIG. 5 is an exemplary floor plan of a retail store using beacontechnology and illustrating the implementation of an embodiment of theinventive method for using peripheral IoT devices to identify smartphones, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. Theexemplary floor plan of the retail store 100 illustrates the beacontechnology used within the store system.

Store 100 is a retail grocery store having an open floor plan where alldepartments and areas are located in one large room separated only byaisles and shelves of products. The store 100 has a frozen foods area102, a canned goods are 104, a dairy area 106, an area 108 for cleaningitems, a produce area 110 having fresh fruits and vegetables, and abakery area 112. A beacon integration system has been installed in thestore to provide customers with information about products, sales,special events, etc. as the customers walk throughout the store.

One such commercially available beacon integration system is IBM®Presence Insights® which consists of hardware and software systems, andis available as a Cloud Service. The system provides a platform thatenables venues (such as store 100) associated with public spaces,healthcare, travel, stadiums, retail stores, and transportationbusinesses to extend customer service and support with any type ofcomputerized wireless customer mobile devices such as smart phones,tablets, portable computers, etc. Although Presence Insights is used forthe embodiments herein, other beacon integration systems could also beused.

The beacon integration system platform leverages inputs from multiplesources of sensory technology, combining them to determine accuratelocations for devices within the venue. The store beacons include beaconsensors which provide beacon location information. The beacons areintentionally conspicuous devices designed to attract attention tospecific locations. The goal of beacon use in the store 100 is to trackuser movements and locations, and to alert the user by triggeringactions in the application of the mobile user device.

The beacon integration system of store 100 is used to detect and gatherreal-time information about mobile devices, such as the primary portablecommunication devices 10 ₁, 10 ₂ . . . 10 _(n) shown in FIG. 3. Thisinformation is used to monitor presence and track movement of mobiledevices in a defined space or region. A software application, i.e. a“mobile app”, is loaded onto a customer's smart phone, tablet or otherportable computing devices that have wireless capability. Based on thedetection of a mobile user device (i.e. the user's secondary portablecommunication device) in proximity to a beacon, business logic cantrigger a notification to the user. That notification can be a pushnotification, sms (short message service text), mms (multi-mediamessaging service), etc. and it can involve anything from a simplemessage to a coupon.

The beacon integration system platform supports various sensingtechnologies associated with radio communication protocols, such asWi-Fi 802.11 networks and Bluetooth BLE beacons. An in-store customerexperience will use intelligent location-based technology for marketingpromotions and to engage customers/patrons using mobile devices in nearreal-time to influence and increase sales.

Both Wi-Fi proximity sensors that provide basic mobile device detection,and Bluetooth devices are supported by the exemplary beacon integrationsystem which could support networks of Wi-Fi access points, referred toas Location Service Provider (LSP) systems, Bluetooth open standardprotocols, or various proprietary beacon protocol networks.

The beacon integration system can also provide data for businesses toadjust associate and staff coverage based upon patron traffic. Mobileuser devices, i.e. portable communication devices, communicate throughradio signals using various protocols such as Bluetooth BLE, Wi-Fi802.11 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, and other radio communication protocols. Whena mobile user device is detected using one of the supported protocols, aGlobally Unique Identifier (GUID) is assigned for the device whereby theGUID can be the MAC address for the device.

Depending on the selected sensor hardware, there are two potentialarchitectures of a beacon integration system for deployment within avenue: “Independent sensor system” architectures and “Location ServiceProvider (LSP)” architectures. Different sensors, whether beacons orWi-Fi, fall into one or both categories. The quality of the devicelocation data differs when received from a Location Service Providerversus information received from an Independent Sensor System. Locationservice providers use filtering, noise reduction algorithms, andtriangulation or trilateration algorithms that convert radio signalvalues with a Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) into relativecoordinates. The RSSI defines the strength of a detected beacon signal.Trilateration is a known technique used in surveying and mapmaking thatuses a tellurometer for measuring the sides of a network of triangles.Triangulation is also a known technique for the tracing and measurementof a series or network of triangles in order to determine the distancesand relative positions of points spread over a territory or region,especially by measuring the length of one side of each triangle anddeducing its angles and the length of the other two sides by observationfrom this baseline.

In an Independent Sensor System (ISS) architecture the sensors, whichare usually beacons, simply broadcast their signals and require thebeacon integration system SDK on a mobile application to listen forthese signals and report them to the beacon integration system server.There is no third party aggregation server involved, so the locationcoordinates of a mobile device are usually assumed to be the locationcoordinates of the sensor that detected it. Fine-grained locationdetermination is currently not possible with a single independent sensordue to hardware limitations. Some sensor payloads may contain accuracyattributes, but these types of metrics should be used very carefullybecause of the inherent inaccuracies in location hardware systems.

ISS architectures were previously referred to as “open architecture”systems. However, the phrase “open architecture” more accurately refersto any sensor system that uses open standards and protocols, such as theiBeacon protocol, supported by the beacon integration system SDK to sendlocation data directly to the beacon integration system connectors. Theterm “closed architecture” generally refers to a system that usesproprietary communication protocols, a vendor-specific SDK, and sometype of control or aggregation server. Frequently a “closedarchitecture” system can provide specific location coordinates whiletaking advantage of internal algorithms associated with the aggregationof location data form multiple sensors.

In a Location Service Provider System (LSPS) architecture, there is aseparate control server involved in the sensor deployment, as well as aseparate vendor-specific mobile SDK. The mobile application uses thevendor-specific SDK to send beacon data to a control server. Thiscontrol server aggregates the data and can manipulate the data in avariety of ways, such as smoothing and filtering the data, and possiblyemploying triangulation or trilateration algorithms to determinerelative device coordinates based on radio signal direction andstrength. This control server must be configured to then send the datato the beacon integration system server. The data format may becompletely different at that point. For example, the control server maybe able to determine the exact position of the detected device and sendthe X,Y coordinates to the beacon integration system.

Location service provider architectures have also been referred to as“closed systems” that typically use proprietary communication protocolsalong with a third party SDK. These closed systems can resolve a mobileuser device location to specific X,Y coordinates on a map, which allowsfor finer grained location-based actions and analytics.

A user, via both his primary portable communication device and his andsecondary portable communication device, is tracked as he or she movesthrough the venue and all personally identifiable information (PII)including the MAC address or GUID is encrypted by using a public keythat is provided by the vendor to ensure that the user/customer data issecure. As the mobile user device moves through the venue, notificationscan be triggered and sent to enable other back-office systems to takeaction.

In FIG. 5 beacons 120, 122, 124, 126, 128, 130, 132, 134 have beenpositioned throughout the store 100, whereby each beacon transmits aBluetooth signal having a predetermined range in such as manner as toprovide complete coverage of the retail shopping areas. Other types ofshort range wireless transmission to and from a beacon could be used,although this example uses Bluetooth.

Beacon 120 is shown to have a transmission radius R which ispredetermined according the manufacturer's specifications for theparticular beacon. For instance the maximum radius could be 10.0 meters.The beacon 120 is positioned in the frozen food area 102 in a locationwhere all products and floor space within the frozen food area 102 willbe within the range or radius R of the beacon 120.

Beacon 122 is positioned within the canned goods area 104, beacon 124 ispositioned within the dairy area 106, beacon 126 is positioned withinthe cleaning goods area 108, beacons 128, 130 and 132 are positionedwithin the fresh produce area 110, and the beacon 134 is positionedwithin the bakery area 112. Of course, more or less beacons could bepositioned and activated throughout the store 100 if desired. The freshproduce area 110 includes a beacon 128 in the fresh fruit section, abeacon 130 in the fresh vegetable section, and a beacon 132 in theorganic fruit and vegetable section.

FIG. 6A is a flow chart diagram of initialization steps of the method ofFIG. 6B for using peripheral IoT devices to identify smart phones, inaccordance with embodiments of the present invention. FIGS. 6A and 6Bwill be described with reference to the system of FIG. 3.

In step 402, an user having a first primary portable communicationdevice 101 and a paired secondary portable communication device 121enters the monitored region 20 of FIG. 3 for the first time. In thisexample the monitored region 20 is a retail store having numerousBluetooth beacons distributed throughout for transferring data to theuser (via a second wireless network) as he walks through the store, i.e.the monitored region. The first primary portable communication device isan Apple® iPhone® smart phone which is paired with an Apple iWatch®being the secondary portable communication device. Each device hasunique device identification data. As the user walks throughout thestore monitored area 20, the Bluetooth beacons in the store communicatewith both the iPhone5s first primary portable communication device 101and the iWatch paired secondary portable communication device 121 overthe second wireless network 20 as the respective device comes withinrange of each beacon. The iPhone5s 101 also communicates with thecomputing device 4 via the Internet (i.e. a first communications network6).

The computing device 4 in step 404 receives and stores within a memory,user identification data via the first wireless network 6 which includesdevice identification data to uniquely identify each device (theiPhone5s 101 and the iWatch 121), and data indicating that the twospecific devices are paired together. At some point in time the user andhis paired devices 101 and 121 will exit the monitored region 20 asdesignated in step 406.

User identification data is defined as any and all data that is relatedto a specific user as identified by his or her portable communicationdevices. User identification data can include device identification dataof specific devices linked to the user, such as a peripheral IoT devicelike a smart watch, a smart wristband, smart glasses, a selfie remote, ashopping button, smart armband, an activity sensor, a Bluetooth bikelock, a wireless headset, smart ring or any type of wireless electronicsensor. The user identification data can also include any data relatedto the user such as, but not limited to, marketing data, purchasingdata, personal data, shopping habit data, etc. which could beaccumulated over a period of time.

Once the initialization steps 402, 404, 406 of FIG. 6A have beencompleted, then the user identification data and the deviceidentifications for the paired devices 101 and 121 will be stored inmemory. The user identification data of the specific user stored on thecomputing device 4 includes data of the user's interests, marketingdata, store visit data, etc.

Turning to step 410 of FIG. 6B, the same user of originally paireddevices 101 and 121 re-enters the monitored region 20 only this time heno longer has his original iPhone5s 101 which the user has upgraded andreplaced with a different device, a smart phone iPhone 6s. The newiPhone 6s has been paired together by the user with the user's originaliWatch 121 so that the two devices communicate with one another. Uponre-entry into the monitored region, i.e. a retail store, the computingdevice 4 will prompt the user to download the store mobile app onto theiPhone 6s.

In this example the original iPhone5s 101 is designated as the firstprimary portable communication device; the original iWatch 121 isdesignated as the secondary portable communication device; and the newiPhone 6s is designated as the second primary portable communicationdevice to replace the iPhone 5s.

As the user walks around the store and comes within transmission rangeof beacons, the beacons will communicate with both the iPhone 6s and theiWatch. The user identification data and device identification data ofthe iWatch will be transferred back to the computing device 4 via theiPhone 6s and the computing device 4 will link all of the user's recordsof previous visits to the store by way of identification of the iWatchincluding the fact that the user had two originally paired devices, theiPhone 5s and the iWatch. In step 412, once the computing device 4 hasreceived the user identification data that the user and his iWatch arepresent in the store, the computing device 4 will determine whether theuser is also carrying the originally paired iPhone 5s. If the answer ofstep 412 is Yes, then the process ends in step 420. If the answer is No,then the process continues to step 414.

The computing device 4 determines in step 414 whether the second primaryportable communication device, the iPhone 6s, is paired with the iWatch(the secondary portable communication device). If it is not, then theprocess ends in step 420. However if the iPhone 6s and the iWatch aredetermined by the computing device 4 to be paired devices in step 416,then the user identification data is updated in step 416 so that thecomputing device 4 recognizes and stores that the iPhone 6s and theiWatch are now paired.

In this example, all of the user identification data and deviceidentification data for a user that is stored in the computing device 4with regards to the originally paired devices (the iPhone 5s and theiWatch) is now made available to the store (e.g. by computing device 4)and to the user/customer via his newly paired devices, i.e. the iPhone6s and the iWatch. Moreover the mobile app can prompt the user whetherthe first primary portable communication device iPhone 5s should bedeleted from the store's records altogether, such as in the case thatthe iPhone 5s is no longer in service. Alternately, the useridentification data could be retained to identify both (1) the originalpairing of the iPhone 5s and the iWatch, and (2) the second pairing ofthe iPhone 6s and the iWatch whereby the same user identificationrecords stored in the computing device 4 would be accessible and updatedwith regards to either pairing of devices. In other words, identicaluser identification data could be stored for either pairing if desired.

In another alternative, the computing device 4 could automaticallydelete any given user device, such as the iPhone 5s, if the device isnot present and recognized in the monitored area 20 of the store withina predetermined period of time, e.g. for one year.

The inventive method is implemented on the computing device whichdetermines that a mobile application has been downloaded onto a firstprimary portable communication device of a user. The first primaryportable communication device and the secondary portable communicationdevice are paired devices, and the computing device communicates withthe first primary portable communication device via the Internet.

When the user receives an alert on his smart phone or other pairedmobile device via a notification enabled by the mobile application, suchas a notification, email or text message, he will acknowledge thenotification, for instance by selecting an icon or providing a verbalacknowledgment if audio capability is present. The notification could bea pop-up message and could be signaled, for instance by an audio tone onthe user's device. The acknowledgment communication could occur betweenthe user and any of his devices which has Internet or similarcommunications capability. The computing device receives theacknowledgement by the user of the notification which includes deviceidentifications of all of the user's paired devices which have beensharing data with one another. The notification is received by the firstprimary portable communication device and shared with the secondaryportable communication device and the first primary portablecommunication device forwards the notification and the acknowledgementto the computing device. Notably, the acknowledgment includes deviceidentifications of each of the paired devices which are stored into amemory of the computing device. If the user's paired devices havechanged, then the computing device will store the updated changed deviceidentifications.

FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment of the computing device 4 of FIG. 3used for implementing the methods of the present invention. Thecomputing device 4 includes a processor 326, an input device 324 coupledto the processor 326, an output device 328 coupled to the processor 326,and memory devices 320 and 330 each coupled to the processor 326. Theinput device 324 may be, inter alia, a keyboard, a mouse, etc. Theoutput device 328 may be, inter alia, a printer, a plotter, a computerscreen, a magnetic tape, a removable hard disk, a floppy disk, etc. Thememory devices 320 and 330 may be, inter alia, a hard disk, a floppydisk, a magnetic tape, an optical storage such as a compact disc (CD) ora digital video disc (DVD), a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), aread-only memory (ROM), etc. The memory device 330 includes a computercode 332 which is a computer program that includes computer-executableinstructions. The computer code 332 includes software or programinstructions that may implement an algorithm for implementing methods ofthe present invention. The processor 326 executes the computer code 332.The memory device 320 includes input data 322. The input data 322includes input required by the computer code 332. The output device 328displays output from the computer code 332. Either or both memorydevices 320 and 330 (or one or more additional memory devices not shown)may be used as a computer usable storage medium (or program storagedevice) having a computer readable program embodied therein and/orhaving other data stored therein, wherein the computer readable programincludes the computer code 332. Generally, a computer program product(or, alternatively, an article of manufacture) of the computersystem/device 4 may include the computer usable storage medium (or saidprogram storage device). The processor 326 may represent one or moreprocessors. The memory device 320 and/or the memory device 330 mayrepresent one or more computer readable hardware storage devices and/orone or more memories.

The present invention may be a system, a method, and/or a computerprogram product at any possible technical detail level of integration.The computer program product may include a computer readable storagemedium (or media) having computer readable program instructions thereonfor causing a processor to carry out aspects of the present invention.

The computer readable storage medium can be a tangible device that canretain and store instructions for use by an instruction executiondevice. The computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but isnot limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device,an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, asemiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of theforegoing. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of thecomputer readable storage medium includes the following: a portablecomputer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), aread-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROMor Flash memory), a static random access memory (SRAM), a portablecompact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD),a memory stick, a floppy disk, a mechanically encoded device such aspunch-cards or raised structures in a groove having instructionsrecorded thereon, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. Acomputer readable storage medium, as used herein, is not to be construedas being transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freelypropagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagatingthrough a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g., light pulsespassing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical signals transmittedthrough a wire.

Computer readable program instructions described herein can bedownloaded to respective computing/processing devices from a computerreadable storage medium or to an external computer or external storagedevice via a network, for example, the Internet, a local area network, awide area network and/or a wireless network. The network may comprisecopper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers, wirelesstransmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers and/oredge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in eachcomputing/processing device receives computer readable programinstructions from the network and forwards the computer readable programinstructions for storage in a computer readable storage medium withinthe respective computing/processing device.

Computer readable program instructions for carrying out operations ofthe present invention may be assembler instructions,instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions,machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions,state-setting data, configuration data for integrated circuitry, oreither source code or object code written in any combination of one ormore programming languages, including an object oriented programminglanguage such as Smalltalk, C++, or the like, and procedural programminglanguages, such as the “C” programming language or similar programminglanguages. The computer readable program instructions may executeentirely on the user's computer, partly on the user's computer, as astand-alone software package, partly on the user's computer and partlyon a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server. Inthe latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user'scomputer through any type of network, including a local area network(LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to anexternal computer (for example, through the Internet using an InternetService Provider). In some embodiments, electronic circuitry including,for example, programmable logic circuitry, field-programmable gatearrays (FPGA), or programmable logic arrays (PLA) may execute thecomputer readable program instructions by utilizing state information ofthe computer readable program instructions to personalize the electroniccircuitry, in order to perform aspects of the present invention.

Aspects of the present invention are described herein with reference toflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus(systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of theinvention. It will be understood that each block or step of theflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations ofblocks/steps in the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, canbe implemented by computer readable program instructions.

These computer readable program instructions may be provided to aprocessor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, orother programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, suchthat the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computeror other programmable data processing apparatus, create means forimplementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks. These computer readable program instructionsmay also be stored in a computer readable storage medium that can directa computer, a programmable data processing apparatus, and/or otherdevices to function in a particular manner, such that the computerreadable storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises anarticle of manufacture including instructions which implement aspects ofthe function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram blockor blocks.

The computer readable program instructions may also be loaded onto acomputer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other deviceto cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer,other programmable apparatus or other device to produce a computerimplemented process, such that the instructions which execute on thecomputer, other programmable apparatus, or other device implement thefunctions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block orblocks.

The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate thearchitecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementationsof systems, methods, and computer program products according to variousembodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block or stepin the flowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, orportion of instructions, which comprises one or more executableinstructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). In somealternative implementations, the functions noted in the blocks may occurout of the order noted in the Figures. For example, two blocks shown insuccession may, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or theblocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending uponthe functionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of theblock diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocksin the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implementedby special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specifiedfunctions or acts or carry out combinations of special purpose hardwareand computer instructions.

The descriptions of the various embodiments of the present inventionhave been presented for purposes of illustration, but are not intendedto be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments disclosed. Manymodifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skillin the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the describedembodiments. The terminology used herein was chosen to best explain theprinciples of the embodiments, the practical application or technicalimprovement over technologies found in the marketplace, or to enableothers of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodimentsdisclosed herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method, said method comprising: determining, bya computing device, that a mobile application has been downloaded onto afirst primary portable communication device of a user, wherein paireddevices are the first primary portable communication device paired to asecondary portable communication device; receiving, by the computingdevice, an acknowledgment by the user of a notification enabled by themobile application, the notification being received by the first primaryportable communication device and shared with the secondary portablecommunication device, wherein the acknowledgment includes deviceidentifications of the paired devices, and storing, by the computingdevice into a memory of the computing device and in response to theacknowledgment, the device identifications of the paired devices.
 2. Themethod of claim 1, said method further comprising: updating, by thecomputing device, device identifications of the paired devices inresponse to a change in paired devices.
 3. The method of claim 2,wherein the change in paired devices comprises a second primary portablecommunication device being paired with the secondary portablecommunication device.
 4. The method of claim 2, wherein the change inpaired devices comprises the secondary portable communication device nolonger being paired with the first primary portable communicationdevice.
 5. The method of claim 2, wherein said updating deviceidentifications occurs after a predetermined period of time.
 6. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the mobile application corresponds to avenue.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein devices are paired viaBluetooth technology.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the computingdevice communicates with the primary communication device via theInternet.
 9. A computer program product, comprising one or more computerreadable hardware storage devices having computer readable program codestored therein, said program code containing instructions executable bya computing device to implement a method, said method comprising:determining, by a computing device, that a mobile application has beendownloaded onto a first primary portable communication device of a user,wherein paired devices are the first primary portable communicationdevice paired to a secondary portable communication device; receiving,by the computing device, an acknowledgment by the user of a notificationenabled by the mobile application, the notification being received bythe first primary portable communication device and shared with thesecondary portable communication device, wherein the acknowledgmentincludes device identifications of the paired devices; and storing, bythe computing device into a memory of the computing device and inresponse to the acknowledgment, the device identifications of the paireddevices.
 10. The computer program product of claim 9, said methodfurther comprising: updating, by the computing device, deviceidentifications of the paired devices in response to a change in paireddevices.
 11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein thechange in paired devices comprises a second primary portablecommunication device being paired with the secondary portablecommunication device.
 12. The computer program product of claim 10,wherein the change in paired devices comprises the secondary portablecommunication device no longer being paired with the first primaryportable communication device.
 13. The computer program product of claim10, wherein said updating device identifications occurs after apredetermined period of time.
 14. The computer program product of claim9, wherein the mobile application corresponds to a venue.
 15. A system,comprising: a computing device, said computing device comprising one ormore processors, one or more memories, and one or more computer readablehardware storage devices, said one or more hardware storage devicescontaining program code executable by the one or more processors via theone or more memories to implement a method, said method comprising:determining, by a computing device, that a mobile application has beendownloaded onto a first primary portable communication device of a user,wherein paired devices are the first primary portable communicationdevice paired to a secondary portable communication device; receiving,by the computing device, an acknowledgment by the user of a notificationenabled by the mobile application, the notification being received bythe first primary portable communication device and shared with thesecondary portable communication device, wherein the acknowledgmentincludes device identifications of the paired devices; and storing, bythe computing device into a memory of the computing device and inresponse to the acknowledgment, the device identifications of the paireddevices.
 16. The system of claim 15, said method further comprising:updating, by the computing device, device identifications of the paireddevices in response to a change in paired devices.
 17. The system ofclaim 16, wherein the change in paired devices comprises a secondprimary portable communication device being paired with the secondaryportable communication device.
 18. The system of claim 16, wherein thechange in paired devices comprises the secondary portable communicationdevice no longer being paired with the first primary portablecommunication device.
 19. The system of claim 16, wherein said updatingdevice identifications occurs after a predetermined period of time. 20.The system of claim 15, wherein the mobile application corresponds to avenue.